The attention given to eating healthier and choosing better ingredients at home seems to be making an impact. According to this opinion piece in the NY Times, the major packaged food brands are seeing sales decline of their most popular products.

Sales of packaged cereals, also heavily sugar-laden, are down over 25 percent since 2000, with yogurt and granola taking their place. Frozen dinner sales are down nearly 12 percent from 2007 to 2013. Sales per outlet at McDonald’s have been on a downward spiral for nearly three years, with no end in sight. Source

Even more fascinating, shelf space at supermarkets for the major food brands, which is the most vigorously protected real estate in business, is being lost to healthier new-comers. The large food producers are reacting by trying to reduce harmful ingredients, lower sugar content, and offer healthier options. But with skeptical consumers on the rise, it may be hard to reverse the sales trend.

More importantly, it shows that cooking at home and and eating with the best ingredients does impact the top line for companies that target sales over health. The long term result is improved wellness for families and better options for everyone!

If there was one cuisine I'd recommend for anyone trying vegan food for the first time, it would be Mexican. Loading up a burrito with spiced rice, black beans, avocado, tomatoes, lettuce, and perhaps some form of sautéed tofu or soy crumbles is a delight to eat and packs enough flavor for everyone to enjoy.

In fact, there are so many Mexican style dishes that lend themselves perfectly to vegan versions that it affords the first timer to plant-based food a nice culinary platform to experiment with different ingredients with little downside. Since Mexican food is built upon the combination of so many basic ingredients, leaving one out, like meat, or replacing it with faux meat or grilled veggies has little impact on the enjoyment of the meal.

To this point, the concept of vegan Mexican food appears to be gaining ground. The success of Gracias Madre, a vegan Mexican restaurant in LA, is a good example. One might argue that vegan Mexican food could become one of the most popular ways to eat vegan food in the future, owing to the popularity of the traditional cuisine now. As people move away from meat, they still won't want to give up the enjoyment of burritos, tacos, and nachos. With plant-based Mexican food, there's little sacrifice in making the switch. As a vegan, many of my meals during the week have a Mexican influence and the cuisine has wonderful value for anyone dabbling in plant-based fare for the first time!

When British footballers go vegan, it's an open goal for health! A National League Team called the Forest Green Rovers, which have a vegan owner, went vegetarian in 2011 and also stopped selling meat burgers at the same time in the stadium. Since then, they've cut out fish and chicken as well, and now have gone entirely vegan. All dairy has been replaced with soy milk or oat milk. Eggs and honey have been also completely removed from the teams menus and stadium food according to the BBC.

It just may possibly be the first sport club to go completely vegan and is an amazing example for the athletic world to follow. Stadiums across the U.S. have added more vegan options to menus, but this case demonstrates that an all vegan stadium is entirely possible. It also just may influence fans to be happier and more peaceful regardless of how the team does!

The World Health Organization published a report in October that classifies red meat and processed meat as carcinogenic to humans. Both substances fall into the same classification as tobacco and asbestos. Further description of the statement is posted below from a Q&A report.

8. Processed meat was classified as Group 1, carcinogenic to humans. What does this mean?

This category is used when there is sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity in humans. In other words, there is convincing evidence that the agent causes cancer. The evaluation is usually based on epidemiological studies showing the development of cancer in exposed humans.In the case of processed meat, this classification is based on sufficient evidence from epidemiological studies that eating processed meat causes colorectal cancer. Source

The Q&A continues to explain that within the Group 1 classification, there are still different levels of risk to cancer for each substance. However, the definition of Group 1 is to inform people that the risks of chronic illness are heightened when exposed to those substances. The most likely oncological disease linked to red meat consumption was colorectal cancer. The results of the epidemiological studies are consistent with a 2002 report by WHO recommending less meat in human diets to prevent chronic illness.

It's not hard to replace meat in a diet with a variety of plant-based options full of flavor and with a range of textures. Plant-based ingredients have been shown to halt the initiation and promotion of cancer and potentially reverse problems associated with red meat consumption as described by the WHO report. Start with one meal a week and then try two. Healthy food can be enjoyed greatly and may reduce chances of long term illness.